ROYAUME UNI – Lathom- The aim of Project Valhalla is to excavate part of the medieval palace fortress site at Lathom, home of Sir Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby and his wife Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. Stanley is immortalised as one of the heroes in Shakespeare’s Richard III as ‘The King Slayer’, as well as crowning Henry Tudor king at the battle of Bosworth in 1485. In addition to its Tudor links, Lathom was also the site of one of the largest and longest sieges of the English Civil War and the only battle that was commanded by a woman, Lady Charlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby. Lathom is listed in the Domesday Book and the original buildings and defences at this time may well have been wooden. A new castle was built in the 13th century of which no details survive and was probably replaced by the structure currently being excavated. This new structure, known as Lathom House and built in 1496, was possibly one of the largest castles in England. It had nine towers and was surrounded by a wall two yards thick and a moat eight yards wide. However, nothing survives of this massive structure as a result of the English Civil War sieges of 1644-45. After the Battle of Marston Moor in July, 1644, the north of England was largely under Parliamentary control apart from areas close to Royalist garrisons such as Lathom. But in July, 1645 4,000 Parliamentary troops returned to begin the second siege. And although the garrison did not capitulate quickly, when it became clear that no relief could be expected, and supplies were running short, they were forced to surrender in December. The Parliamentarians party saw the fall of Lathom as an event of major importance and to prevent its reuse the fortifications were totally demolished.

ISRAEL – Ramat Negev - During digs near the Ramat Negev Regional Council, a team of Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists discovered a large Byzantine-era structure dating to the fourth century CE, inside of which was the remains of a wine press. According to IAA excavation director Dr. Tali Gini, “The southern Negev is known as an agricultural region which grew grapes for wine that was exported to the far reaches of the Byzantine empire.” The impressive size of the Byzantine building, approximately 40 meters by 40 meters (131 x 131 feet) of chiseled stone, indicates it may have served as a winepress for an army unit in the region, said the American-born Gini. With massive proportions — the juice run-off pit has a diameter of 2.5 meters (approx. 8 feet) and depth of 2 meters (6.5 feet) — the estimated production was an impressive 6,500 liters (nearly 230 cubic feet) of raw wine. Gini hypothesized as to why the wine press was abandoned. “In the middle of the sixth century CE, there was a disastrous plague, which led to less need of wine in the southern regions. After the plague, they continued to use the building, but not the winepress,” she said. At the end of the Byzantine period, the area was deserted.

ROYAUME UNI – Burghead Fort - New Pictish remains have been discovered at a fort thought to have been largely destroyed by a 19th-century development. Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen uncovered a longhouse and an 1,100-year-old anglo Saxon coin in a dig at Burghead Fort near Lossiemouth, Moray. Experts believe the fort was a significant seat of power within the Pictish Kingdom, dating between 500AD and 1000AD. Artefacts including the Burghead Bull carvings and a mysterious underground well were discovered in the 1800s, but it was thought further remains were destroyed when a new town was built on top of the fort around the same time. A new dig that started in 2015 has now led to fresh discoveries. The university team uncovered a Pictish longhouse, within which an anglo Saxon coin of Alfred the Great was found, providing key dating evidence for the use of the house and fort. Archaeologists said the coin dates to the late ninth century when Viking raiders and settlers were leading to major changes within Pictish society.

USA – Michilimackinac - A unique discovery in a place rich with history, archaeologists have made rare finds just days apart. Mackinac State Historic Park archaeologists have discovered two pieces of silver and a brass crucifix all within one week. The work is part of an ongoing dig. They're looking for historic artifacts within Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City. They have been working at the site of an 18th century fur trader's home for a little less than a decade; but just over the past week have made some rare discoveries. “Last week we found two pieces of trade silver and that's really unusual for Michilimackinac. Trade silver is an excellent marker for the British time period in the Great Lakes fur trade but we've never found a whole lot of here at the site here in general,” said Evans. On Monday, a volunteer found a brass crucifix. They think it dates back in time even earlier than the silver. “It's probably one of the most unique things I’ve found here, it tells us a lot about the past. It's pretty cool, you get to run around and show everyone the cool artifact it's kind of like a kid in the candy store,” said Volunteer Archaeologist Katie Guttman.